The police arrest an Albanian journalist in Skopje

2024-04-07 22:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Macedonian police arrested journalist Furkan Saliu, founder and editor of the X portal in Skopje, on Sunday. The circumstances of the detention are not very clear, while there are claims of the use of violence during the detention.

According to the police, the journalist, who was identified only by the initials FS and his age (33 years old), after a football match in the vicinity of Skopje attacked the members of the rapid intervention unit, who were trying to maintain order during the match. escalated. This was later confirmed by the minister of order in the technical government, Pançe Toshkovski.

The police had intervened to calm the situation on the sports ground and the game was stopped, as the local public in the village of Konjare te Mesme had tried to physically attack the players of the opposing team. The police have emphasized to a part of the media close to the Macedonian opposition that during the intervention, two people from the public tried to attack the members of the police unit. "The people who attacked the police were detained immediately; it is about FS, NJ from the village of Haracin (in Skopje), while SB has been detained for participating in the beating", the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes.

Macedonian portals, referring to police sources, write that during the search of the car, a revolver was found in the property of the FS; that the car was driven by the person with the initials FA and there was also a passenger, AR, both from the village of Kondovo in Skopje.

Meanwhile, witnesses at the football match told the media that the journalist Saliu had reacted during the arrest of a fan by the police. A witness who did not want to be identified for the media, emphasized that the police authorities used violence against the journalist during his detention.

Albanian opposition parties in North Macedonia and journalists' associations have reacted to this announcement, demanding the immediate release of journalist Saliu.

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (SHGM) calls for the immediate clarification of the case; "The police should be careful not to violate the rights of colleague Saliu, while the political parties should not use the daily clashes between them for political purposes in the election campaign", it is stated in a communique of SHGM.

Portal X, where Mr. Saliu is the founder and editor, describes the act of the police as "directed as a whole and a pressure on the free journalism practiced by Portal X".
Furkan Saliu is known for his critical attitudes not only towards the government but also towards the Macedonian opposition.

The Minister of the Interior, Pançe Toshkovski, who is from the ranks of the opposition VMRO, emphasizes on social networks that he understands the reaction of journalists' associations and unions, while he says that the police reacts the same during any attack on its members. He claims that Furkan Saliu is one of those detained at the football match in Kojnare Mesme "because of the attack on the police officers". "As a minister, I am committed to transparency and accountability for the activity in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and this will continue like this, but the laws of the state must apply equally to everyone", writes Minister Toshkovski on Facebook.

The parties of the Albanian opposition coalition "VLEN" and its candidate for president, Arben Taravari, condemn the arrest of the journalist, which according to them, happened in the conditions of the implementation of his profession. Mr. Taravari says that "the reporter is not to blame for the news he gives", while demanding the quick release of Mr. Saliu.

Meanwhile, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE says that it condemns any attack on the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and that this should be condemned by everyone. "If this is confirmed, then the author must bear all the consequences in accordance with the laws and the Constitution", says a communique of VMRO-DPMNE. The party demands clarification of the case with the journalist and that he be respected for all his rights and freedom as a journalist./ VOA